"Ash" east and "Ash" west, two trail towns on either sides of the country, hosted competitive trail running races over the weekend.In the west, Ashland, Oregon and the Lithia Loop trail race[1] saw 171 runners compete in the USATF Trail Marathon Championships[2]. And in the east, 207 runners took on the 17.8-mile Shut-In Ridge Run[3] near Asheville, North Carolina.

OUT WEST:Fall colors and fog greeted runners at the start, only to give way to blue skies and sunshine once the course started climbing...which it does right away. The Lithia Loop sends runners on a 3,000-foot climb over the first eight miles before flattening out for 12 miles of dirt road before descending back to the start. Max King[4] won the race decisively in 2 hours, 41 minutes and 24 seconds, repeating his win from last year. "Since it's mostly dirt road and the footing isn't technical, it makes it a great course for first-time trail marathoners. But with the climb, it's challenging enough for the most experienced runners, too," he says. "It's a great all-around course that requires good climbing fitness, efficiency on flats, and confidence on semi-technical downhills."Mario Medoza made the race his longest run ever and first marathon, and finished second behind King in 2:47:04. Third-place finisher John Tribbia (2:47:55) also made the race his first trail marathon.On the women's side, it was Katie Caba taking top honors in 3:23:12, with Devon Crosby-Helms[5] second (3:28:36), and Karalee Morris in third (3:32:10).Six thousand dollars in prize money was split between the top 5 Open men and women, and the top 3 Masters men and women. Brad Mitchell (2:52:17) won the men's Masters division, with Luanne Park (3:35:42) winning the women's Masters.

OUT EAST:A freak snowstorm threatened closure of part of the 17.8-mile Shut-In Ridge Run[3], but weather stayed at bay, allowing the 207 runners to tackle the original route. The race, in its 31st year, starts at 2,000 feet elevation and ends at 5,000 feet, but the climbing doesn't happen in one shot. Steep uphills join steep descents, over and over, for a total 5,000 feet of climbing and 3,000 feet of descending, with flat sections in between the ups-and-downs. Sunny skies melted most of the snow that fell in higher elevations, but wind and cold made conditions tough.In the men's race, Justin Tebockhorst took first with a commanding 2 hours, 24 minutes and 35 seconds. Kevin Lisska (2:31:57) took second, with Scott Williams (2:35:17) third.The women had a tighter race up front, with Anne Riddle-Lundblad[6] chasing Katie Gibson who went off the front, cutting down the gap from five minutes to under two, but Gibson stayed away. She won in 3:05:27, with Riddle-Lundblad second in 3:07:32. Wendy Wright was third in 3:09.53.Both of these races have seen growth over the past few years, with the Lithia Loop seeing more runners than either of its previous years, and the Shut-In Ridge Run filling to its capacity in 10 days, a first in the race's long history.